Bread making machines and equipment range in size from small household appliances limited to producing a few loaves of bread at a time to massive automated systems for the continuous production of baked bread on an industrial scale. The latter are suited for the service of wholesale markets and have a capacity which is far beyond the demands of any single retail outlet. Conversely, the capacity of household appliances falls far short of such demands. Thus, retailers who want to offer fresh baked bread for sale normally will do so using conventional commercial dough mixing machines, baking machines, proofing chambers, and other equipment. Each piece of equipment often stands alone from the others. Collectively, the equipment can have a relatively large “footprint” occupying a significant amount of floor space. As well, the process of making bread using such equipment can be relatively labor intensive and require manual intervention as the product is moved from one stage of production to the next. Consequently, the cost of production is increased.
For the foregoing reasons, there is a need for an improved integrated system and components which enable the automated continuous production of baked products, which has a relatively small “footprint”, and which has the capacity to meet customer demands at a typical retail outlet.